IMBA Clubs

History
The York Area Mountain Bike Association, otherwise known as YAMBA, was founded on December 21st 2000. The club began with only three founding members and since then, YAMBA has grown to over 500 members. YAMBA is an affiliate club of the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) whose mission is to encourage responsible mountain biking, support volunteer trail work, assist land managers with trail management issues and improve relations among trail user groups. Currently, YAMBA is the second largest IMBA affiliated club in the entire state of Pennsylvania.

YAMBA’s Mission Statement
The York Area Mountain Bike Association seeks to promote the conservation of the trail systems within the York County Park to ensure the longevity of trail access for all trail users. In order to achieve this objective, YAMBA works in cooperation with the York County Parks to help maintain all trails while at the same time providing education to all trail users. We welcome mountain bikers of all ages and abilities to be part of our club.

Club Activities and Accomplishments
YAMBA celebrated its 10 year Anniversary in December, 2010. To date, YAMBA members have volunteered more than 7500 hours of trailwork within the York County Parks and donated over $17,000 to the York County Parks Foundation Charitable Trust. We maintain existing trails and create new trails where needed. In recent years, new trails have been created at Rocky Ridge County Park, William H. Kain County Park and Spring Valley Park. Trailwork sessions are typically held every two to three weeks on either Saturday or Sunday. All users of the trails at York County Parks are encouraged to join us for trailwork sessions in order to help maintain and improve the trails we use every day.

Weekly beginner mountain bike rides are held on Monday evenings from May through October. Riders of all skill levels are welcome to attend. Weekend group social rides are held year round weather permitting. In 2009, YAMBA began hosting night rides in the York County Parks. YAMBA’s organized night rides are the only such night use permitted in the Parks. All rides and events are posted on our Calendar. Group camping trips are organized to other nearby mountain biking areas such as the Allegrippis Trail System at Raystown Lake. In 2009, YAMBA co-sponsored the IMBA Take A Kid Mountain Biking Event.

Our annual Jon Gantz Memorial picnic is typically held in late summer to honor the memory of YAMBA member Jon Gantz, who was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 2004 along with his brother and 2 friends. In 2010, YAMBA hosted the first annual Revenge of the Dark Side time trail in memory of Jon Gantz. We hope that this will become a yearly event to honor the memory of our friend.

In 2007, YAMBA was the recipient of the York County Park Achievement Award in recognition for volunteer service and financial support toward the improvement and expansion of the trail systems within York County Parks.

YAMBA assisted with the development and implementation of the Park Ambassador Program with the York County Parks and hosted the IMBA Trail Care Crew who provided a trail building seminars in both 2005 and 2010.

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The guidance on this website, and in other IMBA documents, is for reference only and should not be interpreted as a standard, specification or regulation.Mountain biking is inherently risky and could result in injury or death.